The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-10


fatal end which the drug brought, they died
within twenty -four hours of one another.
The unfortunate couple had no children. and
Tor the past few years lived In boarding-hou
They were under the necessity of making fire.
quent removes. first, from the disagreeaoie con-
dition into which they grew. and second. be-
cause they got in the way of spending for opium
the money that should have been paid to the
landlord. Mr.. Fairfeld's literary work was mar
rowed to contributions to the Sunday Mercury
and the Albany Argus He only wrote when
under the direst necessity, and of late his maui
scripts were unavailable. He became incoherent.
rarely finishing sentence in the same way, log
ically or dramatically, that he began il. He
became Unsuitable borrower. at first on the
pretext that he would have An article ready in
day or two. and later on 10 pretext at all. His
condition became wretched in the extreme and
his clothing frightfully shabby. HIS brother
bought him suit OF new clothes, and after wear
ing it day Fairfield pawned it. resumed his
rags and devoted the sca1ty sum he had re-
ceived to the purchase of opium. Every now and
.hen he tried to write. and his manuscripts ac-
cumulated in the Mercury Office One day he
brought Mr.. Mcmillan, the editor. story which
purported to be the experiences of man who
had been absolutely without food for three days
and three nights.
This is from your own experience, is it notl"
asked Mr. Mcmillan
Never mind" responded Fairfield doegedly.
and then in frantic way: 1T is Gods truth,
any way"
The story was at times brilliant in its graphic
portrayal of a starving mans sensations, but its
incoherence here and there made it unavailable.
few days ago he came to Mr.. Mcmillan and
said:
n have got magnificent article in my head
which is just the thing you want. 1t tells of a
man who went fourteen days without sleep"
Mr. Macmillan again asked him if this was
narration of his own experience, and Fairfield
acknowledged that it was, and continued:
1T IS the greatest case of insomnia on record.
Never mind the cause; we wort discuss that
the fact is sufficient For fourteen days could
not sleep. I closed my eyes for q short time. but
could never keep them closed longer than five
minutes. and even that short time was without
sleep. Oh, it will make a splendid story"
Very we'll" said the editor, Ego ahead and
write it
"Oh, but You know very we'll can't write it, !"
exclaimed Fairfield. Give man some day,
and will tell him all about it, SO that he can get
II mp for YOU"
Days passed and Fairfield did not return. He
| came at last on Wednesday. He looked so
broken down that it seemed as if he could not
| live to get out of the Office.
I've concluded not to give you any trouble
about that article. he said. Il can't write it or
| tell it. Let iii CO."
! Five days later he died To the last he
evinced. in disabled way. the original bent of
his mind for scientific experiment and research.
1t was not three weeks ago that he came to a
| friend down town. a man who is interested in
electric lighting business. and exhibited, in a
| frenzy of enthusiasm. a set of drawings for an
electric-light lamp. He claimed that it would be
an improvement on the Edison. The friend
thought. from the drawings, that there might be
| something in it. and advised Fairfield TO have q
model constructed In a few days Fairfield re-
| turned and he had his model /. was discussed.
and the inventor declared that he should find an
opportunity to haveit tested on q dynamo. That
| was the last of it. His fit had lasted week and
| he had not the stability of impulse to carry his
| experiment to the end.
At time and another in his he
| learned a great deal about medicine and surgery
and tired of trying to make a living at writing
he abandoned it once and opened an Office
veterinary surgeon. What little practice hi
obtained disguised him with the vocation, anG
he returned again to literature. His style wa!
graphic, his choice of words good. and, in hi
sensible days he seemed to have first-rat,
future before him. The drug of the poppy killed
him, and now that he is dead. the few friend
that he retained wonder how he lived so long
Divinity, journalism. literature. spiritualsm
medicine. veterinary surgery, opium, Bohemian
ISM scatter Drained invention, poverty, degrade
ton; death!